Dolphins Saturday Mailbag: Tua, Jonah, Chop, and More

Part 1 of a pre-free agency weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Mark Lever:

I haven’t seen you do any mock drafts yet. Who do you have us taken with the 11th pick?

Hey Mark, yeah, I tend to stay away from mock drafts until the first wave of free agency because what happens in that week or so can dramatically change some picks. Having said that, I’d love it if either Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs fell to the Dolphins at 11, but that might be wishful thinking. At this time, I think LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane would be a safe mock draft projection.

From Steve:

Maybe I’m just putting lipstick on a pig here in regards to the Dolphins situation, but with many people saying this not being the best of free agency classes, is this a blessing in disguise to not have money to spend this year? Obviously, they must field a roster, no splashes.

Hey Steve, in the sense that if the Dolphins were to be cap-strapped in any year, yeah, guess it’s a good thing it’s this year. But I think everyone would prefer if the Dolphins realistically were looking like a team that could go places in 2026. This is not a good situation to be in.

From Thomas Hudson:

Since everyone is talking about crazy ideas, how about this one? We know (or at least think we know): The Dolphins do not want to push money into next year's cap if they can avoid it. They can't really avoid it if they want to move on from Tua. They want to trade Tua, which makes sense, but they likely will have to pay some of his 2026 compensation to facilitate that. What they could do, assuming they have a conviction that Willis can be "the guy" (I do not have that conviction, but they actually know him, so...) convert a chunk of Tua's 2026 salary into a bonus, which both lowers his 2026 cap hit for the Dolphins, opening up space to sign Willis and lowering his 2026 cap hit for a new team, making it easier to trade Tua. The obvious downside is that it increases Tua's 2027 dead cap hit, but if you think Willis can be your franchise QB, wouldn't that be worth it? I would argue it would also be worth it if you used the 2026 cap space to bring in some guards who can actually pass-block. On a cap note, someone asked about making a Tua a June 1 cut in March and his bonus. You said they would not have to pay it. I am pretty sure you meant the $3 million in 2027 would no longer be guaranteed. Obviously they would still have to pay the $15 million (I think that is what it is) bonus he is due in March because that is fully guaranteed. This drives me crazy because people keep saying "the Broncos did it" but the Broncos were avoiding something like $37 million becoming guaranteed.

Hey Thomas, you are correct on your last points, including Tua’s $15 million option bonus being fully guaranteed. I hear (or see) what you’re saying about restructuring Tua’s contract, but I don’t think adding more dead cap space in the future is something for which the Dolphins have a lot of appetite right now. There’s also only so much cap space they can create, so the idea of being able to go get some pass-protecting guards plus Malik Willis seems a little unrealistic to me.

From EvilMiamiMonkey:

Is offset language still a thing with NFL contracts? Can Dolphins get any additional cap relief if any of the players they moved on from sign elsewhere?

Yes, that would be minimal because, for example, if the Dolphins already are going to be on the hook for $54 million for Tua, why would any other team sign him for more than the veteran minimum and why would Tua ask for more from a new team when the Dolphins already would be paying it?

From dolphman99:

Supposedly a team offered to trade for Tua with also sending the team the Dolphins’ 1st round pick. Can the Dolphins ask for their 2nd or 3rd rounder to solidify the deal? The team is rebuilding anyway this year and would be done owing Tua any money.

The Dolphins can ask whatever they want to ask, but if a team is going to take on all of Tua’s contractual obligations (minus the signing bonus, which always will remain Miami’s responsibility on a prorated basis), then I’m not sure any of them would give up a second- or third-round pick on top of that. But it definitely would be worth asking.

From will w.:

With Sully loving draft picks, is there enough top guys for him not to trade back in the 1st round?

Hey Will, that’s a great question, and that’s going to depend on their board. And that’s something we’ll never know because draft analysts will come up with their consensus top 15, but it doesn’t mean the Dolphins will agree with that list and somebody who might not be worth the 11th pick among draftniks might absolutely be it for Miami. The other issue with trading back is it requires another team to make a deal and it could be that there’s no prospect for which a team would want to move to 11 by the time that pick comes.

From Dave Campbell:

Greetings Alain! I don't understand the hesitation in designations of Post-June 1 cuts both Tua & Chubb. I know it can't be "official" until start of new league year, but why not just rip off that Band-Aid ? Everyone knows it's coming. Personally, I think Tua will find out "The market IS the market " & no one signs him until an injury happens in a camp or during the season. Just too many physical limitations. Couple hypothetical questions for you: Does new coaching staff give Jonah Savaiinaea a chance at college position at RG? Also does Chop Robinson benefit from a Wide 9 scheme with his speed rush? Always enjoy the written work at Si.Com (miamidolphinsonsi.com) & both All Dolphins and Dolphins Collective podcasts. Nice to see Ken LaVicka last week for a fan prospective on everything new in Dolphins land.

Hey Dave, thanks as always. First off, the Dolphins literally can’t make official any post-June 1 move until March 11 even if they wanted to. The reports of Chubb having been told he’ll be released are just as good as that made having been made official. As for Tua, what’s the rush in making any kind of decision if there’s still a chance (however small) that the Dolphins can work out a trade with another team. As for your two scheme questions, I don’t know the Dolphins’ plans for Savaiinaea, but I do think they’d explore moving him back to right guard because they have to find a way to get the most out of him. As for Chop, yes, the Wide 9 could help, but it’s not an instant cure or magic potion that’s going to make him a dominant pass rusher. And the run defense concerns will remain until he shuts them down for good.

From Greenview Construction:

You OK with Ewers, Miller, adding Levis via trade and drafting Green or Payton in late round? See how it goes and if no one shines draft high next year?

I don’t mind that approach at all because you’re taking shots without big-money or long-term commitments, which is what I want this team to avoid at all cost.

From Cheesefrog:

It seems like Willis will be offered much more money than what the Dolphins can realistically counter with, especially since the team is probably a couple years away from contention. Do you see any FA QBs that make economic and practical sense?

You very well might be right when it comes to Willis, though I do expect the Dolphins to make their pitch. As for most cost-effective options, we’re looking at bridge quarterbacks like Jimmy Garoppolo, Carson Wentz, maybe Geno Smith, maybe Mitch Trubisky. Garoppolo is the one who stands out to me there. I also wouldn’t object to sending a late-round picks for guys like Will Levis or maybe even Anthony Richardson.

From Aris De Icaza Gonzalez:

Which player would disappoint you the most if the Dolphins don’t retain him?

Hey Aris, among pending free agents, I think Greg Dulcich is the one who stands out because he’s young and I like his potential. Rasul Douglas is another one I think the Dolphins should re-sign, though he’s a bit older and might not want to be part of a rebuilding situation if he gets offers from other teams. Among guys under contract, I’d be disappointed to see Jordyn Brooks go, but I’d understand the move if they were offered a great return in a trade.

From Toby Marmorino:

Hey Alain, I've been thinking about this Malik Willis thing that has been taking over all talk about our future quarterback. The main reason is that our new GM and head coach spent the past 2 years with him and they should know him better than anyone, but what no one is really talking about is that the current GM of the Packers along with the head coach in the whole organization has also seen Malik Willis for the last 2 years and I would assume that if they saw something special in him they wouldn't let him hit free agency, I would think they would've tried to sign him up while they had the chance and get him on the cheap to keep him on the team as a quality backup. That raises alarms in my eyes, don't you think? Especially at the rate of $25-30 million a year. Keep up the good work.

Hey Toby, here’s the thing: It’s always easy for fans to see a team should re-sign a player before he hits free agency, but what would the Packers have offered Willis to stay as a backup or what would have been the incentive for Willis to not wait to see how things would play out? Willis is looking at a major salary increase that he wouldn’t have come close to getting by re-signing early with the Packers.